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| Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners is a citizen science program
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'‘Intore’ Eggplant' Eggplant |
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| | Description: |
This is an oblong, lobed, white garden egg from Africa that is particularly large and more productive, especially in shorter seasons like northern Vermont where Janine Ndagijimana lives and farms. Janine's family is from Burundi but she was born in Rwanda in a refugee camp. She now grows acres of this eggplant in order to ship thousands of pounds of fresh fruits to Africans throughout the US, and now she also shares the seeds through our catalog.
People like to eat this eggplant for its health benefits and to replace meat in various dishes. They are mixed with beans and veggies, mixed with fish and oil, fried and eaten with sauce, simply boiled, and even eaten fresh like an apple.
To learn more about Janine's eggplant farming story, see these articles:
"African refugee grows homeland's bitter eggplants in Vermont" - Taiwan News
"This Refugee Is Growing African Eggplants in the US to Support Her Family" - Global Citizen
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| Days To Maturity: |
50-60
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| Seed Sources: |
True Love Seeds - updated in 2025
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| Rating Summary |
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Overall: (3.7 Stars)
Taste: (2.5 Stars)
Yield: (4.5 Stars)
Ease/Reliability: (4.7 Stars) |
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| Reviews |
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Login to share your Review of ‘Intore’ Eggplant.
Number of Reviews: 6
KEY: O=Overall Rating, T=Taste, Y=Yield, E=Ease
Reviewed on 10/10/2025 by
Cafolla
- A novice gardener
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 Overall
 Taste
Yield
Ease
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Monroe, New York, United States
Frost Free Season: 163 - 183 days
Soil Texture: Not Sure
Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20')
Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
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| 7/28- taste is okay, neutral, a little bitter, although the audience is all white women |
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Reviewed on 10/10/2025 by
Gasieiwcz
- An experienced gardener
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 Overall
Taste
Yield
Ease
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Wyoming, New York, United States
Frost Free Season: 123 - 143 days
Soil Texture: Loam
Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40')
Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
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| Small fruit needs be harvested young. If left to get large fruit bitter and unpalatable. good container variety for small spaces. Shelf life pretty short |
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Reviewed on 09/29/2025 by
Tompkins MGs
- An experienced gardener
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Overall
Taste
Yield
Ease
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Tompkins, New York, United States
Frost Free Season: 143 - 163 days
Soil Texture: Clay
Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20')
Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
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| Plants grew well even with neglect in our hot summer, affected, inevitably, by flea beetles. They produced lots of small, white eggplants, a few at a time. They had nice flavor when harvested white, but bitter once they became orange. One tester with a single plant noted that there were never enough fruit at one time to prepare, as they ripened even in the refrigerator and turned bitter after picking. |
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Reviewed on 09/24/2025 by
CCE Rockland
- An experienced gardener
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 Overall
 Taste
Yield
Ease
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Rockland, New York, United States
Frost Free Season: 163 - 183 days
Soil Texture: Clay
Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20')
Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
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| Very attractive plant, strong grower and very prolific fruit production. It was harvested as recommended at 3" and still white. Eaten raw and cooked it was found to be too bitter tasting. Probably would be fine in the appropriate recipe with stronger tasting ingredients. |
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Reviewed on 09/19/2025 by
Jessica Luse
- An experienced gardener
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Overall
Taste
Yield
Ease
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Saratoga, New York, United States
Frost Free Season: 143 - 163 days
Soil Texture: Not Sure
Garden Size: Medium - 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet
Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
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| It was a prolific plant and great grower, produced throughout the whole season. Tried in several recipes including traditional recipes and with each taste test, it was found to be very bitter. |
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Reviewed on 09/06/2025 by
Schenectady CCE
- An experienced gardener
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Overall
Taste
Yield
Ease
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Schenectady, New York, United States
Frost Free Season: 143 - 163 days
Soil Texture: Loam
Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40')
Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
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| Harvest when it barely starts to turn yellow indicating that it has reached mature size. When it starts to turn orange it will be over ripe with black spots inside. |
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Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners is a citizen science program, © 2004-2025, All Rights Reserved
Cornell Garden Based Learning, Cornell University College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Horticulture Section
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